Assess the Reign of Amenhotep

Nonetheless, during the 12th Dynasty, there was a temple built for Amun’s worship and toward the end of the 18th Dynasty, Amun’s status increased even more and he became known as “…the great royal deity who was “Father of the Gods” and ruler of Egypt and the people of its empire (Rosalie 104).

He is depicted in the film having an adulterous relationship with Seti I’s wife, Anck-Sun-Amun. The film’s three main characters, Seti I, Imhotep and Anck-Sun-Amun, as a matter of fact, belong to different dynasties. Imhotep who was born in the 3rd dynasty was, in fact, a physician, scribe, sage, architect, astronomer, vizier and the pharaoh’s high priest. He was even given the title “chancellor of the king of Lower Egypt”. Imhotep also played a pivotal role as the chief architect in the construction of the world’s first known monumental stone building and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Step Pyramid at Sakkara. In addition, Anck-Sun-Amun’s portrayal in the film would seem somewhat absurd if people knew that King Seti, the king she was supposedly married to, lived in the 19th Dynasty. In ancient Egyptian history, Anck-Sun-Amun who lived in the 18th Dynasty was, in fact, the daughter of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, and she even married the famous King Tutankhamen. Furthermore, Seti I had a wife, Queen Tuya and was the pharaoh responsible for restoring peace and order to Egypt after King Akhenaten’s disastrous reign where he banned polytheism and persecuted people who refused to worship the sun god,

Once towering, but now slowly crumbling pyramids grace the horizon, bejeweled and dusty royal mummies lay buried and forgotten by the sands of time, and mysterious and often strangely heroic murals intertwined with a scattering of hieroglyphics sprawl across the walls of tombs and temples alike. These are the only evidence left of a once vast empire that is rapidly falling into disrepair as its already decrepit state grows worse. However, the current state of ancient Egypt does not curb the curiosity of adventure seekers looking to peek into a diminished era; today, a multitude of onlookers wander through the glorious yet now empty tombs that once held ancient Egypt’s elite. Millions more in museums around the world peer through the glass enclosing the precious jewels, fragmented pottery and statues, and frayed and often threadbare garments that before adorned peasant and monarch alike. Nevertheless, it is the fascinating intricacies and myths surrounding pieces such as King Tut’s death mask and the statues of Rameses the Great that still grip one with awe and leave lingering unanswered questions behind. What was Egypt like during the reign of each of these age-old monarchs? Even more so, what traits and morals did each hold that wove legacies characterized with such vivid larger than life personas of each, yet above all else, how could one pharaoh inscribe his story in our hearts as to ensure an enduring image even after his death?

This was controlled because it was directed through the rulers. It was not easy for the people to reject their old God’s, because they were centuries old. Rejecting their God’s was extremely difficult. Their religion was well-known. People had been threatened under Aten and under Amun-Re it was not it was actually more dominant. The worship under Aten never became well-known. Most Egyptians were not affected by the revolution. They remained dedicated to their old Gods. They thought there was no need to build sanctuaries to Aten. The religious leaders considered the religious rebellion unorthodox. Many of the court supporters were not dedicated to the revolution. The art and manners connected with the Amarna were considered anti cultural by conservatives and was never widely acceptable.

Amenhotep IV was the first pharaoh to challenge the Egyptian culture and religious beliefs. His decision to make Aten, “The God of the Sun Disk”, the only god, took power away from the temple priests. Before Amenhotep IV made the changes, Egypt practiced polytheism not only worshiping the Sun Disk God, but around 12 other gods with roles such as fertility, the sky, the Nile River, childbirth, etc. With Egypt practicing monotheisms the temple priest have lost control of any political or religious gain they once held. This will be the first time Egypt practices monotheism. In making this change Amenhotep IV became known as Akhenaten, “Shining Spirit of Aten”. Becoming Akhenaten was not the only changes reflected from his reign as pharaoh.

During the reign of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Egyptian civilization became developed and powerful. Also, during the New Kingdom the life of Egyptians changed in a different aspects. One of the changes was renewed traditions. Another change that happened was a rise of a new aristocracy “whose wealth was acquired through warfare and the winning of the lands which they received from the pharaoh” (Western Civilization, pg.31).

Second, I will be discussing the characteristics of Amun-Re. Re is depicted as a man with a hawk head and a headdress with a large sun disk. The sun disk on his headdress is to reference his continuous power and control of the sun. The Egyptians were not senseless; they did not think that a man or chariot raced across the sky dragging the sun to its resting point.

The statue of Amenhotep III is a work of art that displays the virtues of art from the time period in which he ruled. Amenhotep III ruled from around 1391-1353 BCE, which of course is the era of the New Kingdom in the 18th dynasty. The replica of the statue of Amenhotep III shows a lean, muscular figure who is wearing the triangular skirt most commonly worn by kings. The skirt, which sits just above the ankles, is detailed with deep lines that originate in the bottom right corner and move outward in all directions. These lines are interrupted by a series of squares that begin at the top of the skirt and work toward the bottom, incrementally increasing in size.

Djedkare Isesi was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the eighth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty in the late 25th century to mid 24th century BCE, during the Old Kingdom period. He likely enjoyed a long reign of over 40 years, which heralded a new period in the history of the Old Kingdom. Breaking with a tradition followed by his predecessors since the time of Userkaf, Djedkare did not build a temple to the sun god Ra, possibly reflecting the rise of Osiris in the Egyptian pantheon. More significantly, Djedkare effected comprehensive reforms of the Egyptian state administration, the first undertaken since the inception of the system of ranking titles. He also reorganised the funerary cults of his forebears buried in the necropolis of Abusir and reformed

The history of ancient Egypt is divided into three blocks of time referred to as kingdoms. The kingdoms were named as the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. This essay highlights the differences among the three kingdoms in terms of politics, economics, sculpture, and architecture.

The reign of Amenophis III was the beginning of a political era of diplomatic relations and an economic upturn in Egypt. Amenophis III was original with the choice of his ‘Great Royal Wife’, Tiye, who was not born into a family of monarchs.

Peace between the Mitanni and Egypt was secured during the reign of Amenhotep II’s reign, while Amenhotep III ensured that the peace would continue between the two kingdoms for generations. In year ten of his reign as evident from the Amarna letters and translations by historian J.H Breasted, Amenhotep III married Gilukhepa, a daughter of the Mitannian King. The Amarna letters also reflect that Egyptian-Hittite relations were friendly during this time, while further evidence also reveals that Amenhotep subsequently maintained friendly relations with Egypt’s neighbours by marrying Babylonian and Syrian princesses as well as one from Arzawa. This helped to ensure alliances between Egypt’s neighbours as relations between Egypt and other foreign powers prospered with the exchanging of gifts and diplomatic negotiations. Amenhotep’s policy of diplomacy was also important to Egyptian trade and income. The Amarna letters reflect how trade prospered during this period. Worked and raw materials were traded or brought to Egypt such as hard timber, cattle, horses, copper and ivory while Egyptian gold was highly sort after by foreign powers. Furthermore, inscriptions on statue bases during his reign also attest to Egyptian trade with Aegean

Aten, the sun, was placed above images of Akhenaten, his wife, and children. This symbolizes the connection between the deity and the pharaoh. A prime example of this can be seen in Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Daughters (Appendix 1). Akhenaten and his family are seated below the sun, below Aten. Aten’s rays are shown to be shining upon the family.

In conclusion this paper attempts to understand why with all the similarities between Egypt and Babylon, what is/are the reason(s) Egypt has survived and continues to do so, while the one time most powerful kingdom in the world, Babylon, lies in ruin.

The artworks of Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are both strikingly different and similar at the same time. Consistent is the theme of serving the different gods the two cultures believed in. In Mesopotamia the various city-states each had their own protective deity, and in Egypt they sometimes differed from one dynasty to the next. Whatever the case, with the beginning of kingdoms and rulership came the need to justify a position of power and establish a hierarchy. And as more time passed came also the human need to leave an impression on their world. Looking at the example of the statues of Gudea from the Neo-Sumerian period and the Temple of Ramses II from the New Kingdom of Egypt in the 19th dynasty, will show how both rulers of